Electromyographic Assessment of Functional Symmetry of Paraspinal Muscles during Static Exercises in Adolescents with Idiopathic Scoliosis

BACKGROUND The question of how to correct and rehabilitate scoliosis remains one of the most difficult problems of orthopaedics. Controversies continue to arise regarding various types of both symmetric and asymmetric scoliosis-specific therapeutic exercises. OBJECTIVE The aim of the present paper was to conduct an electromyographic assessment of functional symmetry of paraspinal muscles during symmetric and asymmetric exercises in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study was conducted in a group of 82 girls, mean age 12.4 ± 2.3 years with single- or double-major-idiopathic scoliosis, Cobb angle 24 ± 9.4°. The functional biopotentials during isometric work of paraspinal muscles in "at rest" position and during two symmetric and four asymmetric exercises were measured with the use of the Muscle Tester ME 6000 electromyograph. RESULTS In general, asymmetric exercises were characterised by larger differences in bioelectrical activity of paraspinal muscles, in comparison with symmetric exercises, both in the groups of patients with single-curve and double-curve scoliosis. CONCLUSION During symmetric and asymmetric exercises, muscle tension patterns differed significantly in both groups, in comparison with the examination at rest, in most cases generating positive corrective patterns. Asymmetric exercises generated divergent muscle tension patterns on the convex and concave sides of the deformity.